This is a welcome re-issue of two of the last albums from the superb, but perhaps little remembered trumpet man Joe Gordon. Both are from 1961 "Lookin' Good" with his own quintet followed by "Awakening" with a sextet led by Jimmy Woods. Born in Boston in 1928 he first came to light working spasmodically on the East Coast scene with the likes of Parker, Horace Silver and Blakey's Messengers. He was also a fine section man recording with the big bands of Dizzy Gillespie and Gerald Wilson among others. In '58 he moved out west and became a sure footed soloist with Monk and Shelly Manne but soon became a leader in his own right. The sad truth is that he had, for most of his adult life, a very serious heroin addiction causing him to be unreliable to say the least. His sad end was met following a fire at his two room condemned property near Venice Beach. Joe Gordon passed away on 4th November 1963 at Santa Monica Hospital aged only 35.

All the music here find's him in top form displaying a bright open style on his own compositions plus a small number of standards. By the time that these sides were cut the trumpet man had developed a west coast cool to his playing, epitomizing the sounds often heard at the famous Lighthouse Club at "Hermosa Beach". The ensemble playing is also of a high standard with Jimmy Woods alto gelling well with the leader. It must be pointed out that two of the "originals" named as "Terra Firma Irma" and "Song For Richard" have themes bearing a more than passing likeness to "Jeanine" and "Autumn Leaves"! When Martin Banks joins as second trumpet and Amos Price takes over on piano there is a more bopish sound to the group with Jimmy Bond, who was soon to help form The Jazz Crusaders, having a more prominent roll behind the horns. The highlights of the expanded line up are the unusual take on "Love For Sale" full of surprises and containing Gordon's most convincing solo, plus Bob Russell's seldom heard minor classic "Circus".

All things said this is a fine representation of American jazz at the time and a fitting epitaph to one of the music's more tragic figures.

Reviewed by Jim Burlong

ECM celebrates 50 years of music production with the Touchstones series of re-issues